There’s less buzzing in our world. About 40% fewer bees, thanks to a variety of challenges. Parasites, loss of habitat, and poor management practices play a role. However, exposure to pesticides impacts both bees and other wildlife. One group, neonicotinoids, is a particular class of nicotine-related insecticides.
What are neonicotinoids?
Neonics are a class of synthetic, neurotoxic insecticides. They are used on crops, lawns, gardens, golf courses, and flea and tick pet treatments. Developed in the mid-1990s, neonics are now the most popular insecticide class in the United States.
Neonics work by permanently binding to the nerve cells of insects, overstimulating and destroying them. The nerve agent is effective on sap-feeding pests, beetles, white grubs, fleas, flies, and roaches. And bees—both honeybees and the hundreds of species of native bees—but not always directly. Exposed insects often exhibit uncontrollable shaking and twitching followed by paralysis before dying. Even at nonlethal doses, neonics can weaken critical functions, such as an insect’s immune system, navigation, stamina, memory, and fertility. Recent research shows it can confuse bees to the point of starvation and colony decline. Bees forget how to find and remember flower locations. They lose the ability to forage for nectar and find their home hive.
Why does this matter?
Neonics are mainly harmful because they are highly toxic and kill insects indiscriminately, targeting pests and harming beneficial insects like butterflies and bees. Since their introduction, neonics have made U.S. agriculture almost 50 times more harmful to insect life.
Neonics are classified as “systemic” pesticides, meaning they can be applied directly to the soil around a plant’s roots or used as a coating on plant seeds. The plant then absorbs the pesticide as it grows, making it toxic, including its nectar, pollen, leaves, stems, and fruit.
Additionally, only a tiny percentage of the neonics applied to seeds make it into the target plant, leaving the rest, about 95 percent, in the soil. Once in the soil, neonics remain active for years and can be carried long distances by rain or irrigation water, contaminating new soil, plant life, and water supplies.
The widespread use of neonics has led to significant ecosystem contamination, especially in water. A 2015 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found neonic pollution in over half of the streams sampled nationwide. Neonics also have harmful effects on wildlife. Recent studies have linked neonics to bird population declines, fishery collapses, and birth defects in white-tailed deer, among other issues. Despite the threat to our environment, nothing has slowed the widespread application of these insecticides.
Neonics are often used “prophylactically,” another way of saying whether they’re needed. They usually treat pest problems that don’t exist. When pest problems do arise, neonics can make those pest problems worse for farmers by killing off beneficial bugs and soil microbes that improve crop health and resiliency. They can also reduce crop yields.
Insects such as bees and other pollinators are essential for our food chain. Any factors that affect insects will eventually impact other animals, including humans. Additionally, bees play a crucial role in providing us with food because their pollination is essential for food production. Approximately one of every three bites of food we consume, including coffee and chocolate, relies on pollination.
Commercial beekeepers manage honey bees for both honey production and agricultural crop pollination. About half of all U.S. crops are possible thanks to 2.6 million colonies for hire. Coast-to-coast, from almonds in February to blueberries in late summer. Bee transport takes colonies in 18-wheelers from farm to farm during peak flowering. Wild bees and other pollinators take care of the rest.
What effect do neonicotinoids have on human health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately half of the U.S. population is regularly exposed to at least one type of neonicotinoid. Children between the ages of three and five have the highest levels of exposure. Various studies have linked neonicotinoids to neurological issues such as muscle tremors and health problems, including reduced testosterone levels, disrupted insulin regulation, and changes in fat metabolism. Research has also connected neonicotinoid exposure during pregnancy to birth defects, such as heart and brain deformities.
Unfortunately, neonicotinoids frequently contaminate water sources, and conventional chlorination methods usually fail to eliminate them from tap water. These pesticides also taint our food supply, with neonicotinoid residues found in 86 percent of U.S. honey and in popular fruits like apples, cherries, and strawberries. Since neonicotinoids are present within fruits and vegetables, they cannot be washed off or peeled away. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately half of the U.S. population is regularly exposed to at least one type of neonicotinoid. Children between the ages of three and five have the highest levels of exposure. Various studies have linked neonicotinoids to neurological issues such as muscle tremors and health problems, including reduced testosterone levels, disrupted insulin regulation, and changes in fat metabolism. Research has also connected neonicotinoid exposure during pregnancy to birth defects, such as heart and brain deformities.
What can we do?
Homeowners and landscapers can do their part to reduce personal use of neonicotinoids. And, when you need to use one, use it according to directions. This includes application late in the day when most pollinators aren’t foraging.
Another tip? Plant more native plants to provide the nectar and pollen needed by pollinators. “Forrest Keeling specializes in native plants. You could say, ‘native is our brand,’ said Kim. “We have nearly 400 different native species in production.”
“Forrest Keeling is also proud to say we’re ‘neonic free’ throughout our Nursery,” shared Kim Lovelace, Nursery president. “It’s part of our vision to restore the earth’s ecosystems… clean air, pure water, and renewed earth… one tree at a time. Sustainability and resilient landscapes are trends today. But they’ve been our way of life at Forrest Keeling since the Nursery’s founding in 1948.”